MKTG 3306
Group 1. Mountain Man Brewing Company: Bringing the Brand to Light
Synopsis:
The core the debate and protagonist dilemma lies in whether or not the launch of Mountain Man
Light will endanger Mountain Man Lager by either cannibalizing sales of the Mountain Man Lager
product or alienating Mountain Man’s core customers, or alternatively, whether the launch of
Mountain Man Light is a critical growth strategy for the firm and a significant future source of
revenue for a company facing revenue decline for the first time in its history. Mountain Man Lager’s
brand equity is a key asset for Mountain Man Brewing Company. The question is whether the Light
brand will enhance, detract from it, or irreversibly damage it.
Objectives (and possible issues to explore):
– Understanding the elements of a strong B2C brand
– Explore the concept of brand equity, how it is created, and how brands can be used as
platforms for growth
– Explore concept of a product line extension using an existing brand name and inherent risks
and benefits
– Explore concepts of cannibalisation and brand alienation
– Concept of the “finite” life brand vs. the long-term success of a brand
– Concept of congruent vs. incongruent line extension
– Difficulty in choosing between qualitative and quantitative data in making key strategic
decisions
– Estimating the financial impact of a product line extension decision
MKTG 3306
Group 2. Crocs: Revolutionising an Industry’s Supply Chain Model for Competitive
Advantage
Synopsis:
This case discusses the astounding growth of Crocs, Inc., a manufacturer of plastic shoes. Much of
the company’s growth was made possible by a highly by a highly flexible supply chain which enabled
Crocs to build additional product within the selling season. The normal model used within the
fashion industry was to take orders well in advance of each selling season, and produce to those
orders, with relatively little additional production. If demand was far in excess of this production,
there would be stockouts and the company would lose the ability the capture revenue for that
season. The product might, or might not, be in fashion the following year, when production would
again be based on pre-season orders.
Croc’s ability to build additional shoes within the season enabled it to take advantage of strong
customer demand, resulting in the company filling in-season orders totalling many times that of
